Absinthe fanatics are kind of goth, only green instead of black.
Posted on July 17, 2008
Filed Under Kevin Kelpe | Leave a Comment
Kevin Kelpe is a bartender, restaurateur and amateur writer living in Boise, Idaho. He blogs at Save the Drinkers.
After having foot to ground in New Orleans for around 18 hours, I’d already had a serious case of heartburn, a hangover, regret that I don’t live in a larger city, and a new set of neat people to stalk, (you know who you are…,) before I found time to post. I also learned that one must have a panama in their collection to be a cocktail writer traveling to New Orleans…
I do not own a panama hat.
Since I’m a research-free writer at the moment, and I don’t know a ton about the subject already, I can’t go into great depth about my visit to the Preview Opening of the Absinthe Museum of America and the simultaneous consumption of several glasses of that funny stuff. But I can tell you that I was surprised about the complex differences between Lucid, Marteau, and La Fee absinthes. Lucid has a rich, earthy flavor that I prefer to the others, while the La Fee has a bright, full-bodied sweetness that I think has more universal appeal to our culture’s less-than-1700s appreciation of absinthe. These differences are probably the result of the different styles and philosophies associated with each spirit-maker, but you’ll have to do some research to find out. (I don’t feel like it.) I basically had to threaten a pipe bombing at the ISLD to get Lucid into Idaho, and I’ve since grown to love the stuff. I was equally loving the vast collection of pastis and absinthe brands and accessories at today’s preview… and these chicks:
